SENIOR health officials have categorically confirmed there are no plans for a permanent overnight closure of Stratton Minor Injuries Unit.

The reassurances came at an emergency Bude Community Network Panel meeting, held at the Parkhouse Centre last Thursday.

Well over 100 members of the public turned up to listen as well as ask questions.

In December, the Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust reduced the opening hours of the unit from 8am to 10pm, citing staffing problems as well as a lack of use throughout the night.

However the decision was met with dismay by local councillors and the public, who since then, have campaigned for it to return to normal.

Cllr Nicky Chopak, Cornwall Councillor for Poundstock, chaired the meeting before handing over to the director of primary care at the Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Dr Tamsyn Anderson, who addressed the audience.

Ms Anderson is a GP in Newquay and started working with the trust in 2016.

She said: “One of the biggest challenges is the amount of people who support these services and the recruitment of staff is challenging. Nationally there are pressures to access. We’ve been trying to recruit for a long time but there are staffing challenges in hospitals. But we’re hopeful of being able to run a 24/7 service.

“The loss of a key member of staff meant we weren’t able to support 24/7 services but we know it’s a massive issue for the people of Bude.”

However Dr Anderson also issued some facts. She said: “Last year 9,436 people attended the unit, only 600 came between 10pm and 8am and on 102 nights no-one attended. Although it’s not been an easy decision, we had to take the decision as there’s not enough staff for 24 hours. But we’re being active with our recruitment. We’ve put adverts in the local paper, The Nursing Times.

“But recruiting for that skillset is difficult. It takes six months of training to develop the skills needed and when we do recruit, a lot of people don’t want to work nights.

“It’s also important to say that people have rapid responses. If people have a stroke, or breathing difficulties etc, then they shouldn’t go to an MIU as an MIU is for minor injuries.

“Quite a few people are comfortable dialling 999 when they shouldn’t but we’ve also had people who were actually having an emergency going to the hospital instead.

“It’s important to remember that nurses are trained for minor injuries, not emergencies. There’s evidence to support that ambulances are getting quicker. But what’s really important is that there’s a more robust service when people need an urgent response.

“We have to support our staff in this. It’s frightening for staff looking after this.”

Dr Anderson reiterated their determination to recruit but also the challenges they have to deal with.

She said: “We are looking to recruit but we’re facing significant issues doing that. We’ve been trying for the last six months, but it’s proving difficult. We do need to consider these challenges and the workforce demographics aren’t going to get easier facing these challenges.

“We didn’t anticipate this to happen, and we want to work with what we’ve got to make this as safe as possible and meet the needs of the local people.”

Although dozens of questions were sent in to be read out at the meeting, many were the same.

Questions were read out with either Dr Anderson, Sue Buse (NHS Stratton Hospital Hospital), Anita Cornelius (area director for Adult Community Services and co-author of the temporary night time closure update) or Jackie Pendleton (NHS Kernow’s chief officer) offering a response.

Ms Buse was first to respond to a question, asking whether they really think it was a good idea to close it temporarily at short notice.

She said: “The MIU was closed at short notice but since 2016 five our nurses have retired. Over the last year, since February, we’ve had adverts out as well going through agencies, but unfortunately it’s not been that successful. Last week we interviewed four people and on Friday we thought we had three people, but by Monday we only had one! That’s why we had to take this decision as we couldn’t cover the night shifts.”

The nearest hospitals from Bude are Barnstaple and Bodmin, which are both well over 45 minutes away, and Dr Anderson and Ms Pendleton were asked why they closed it with that in mind and the time it takes ambulances to get to the local area

Dr Anderson said: “MIU is for minor injuries. I’ve heard a lot about ambulance times but it’s something they can rely on.”

Ms Pendleton said that reducing waiting times for ambulances is a big priority across Cornwall.

“What we know is that across Cornwall we struggle with response times. We’ve largely failed that and we recognise it’s not good enough. As a practitioner we’ve agreed an extra £13-million into the South West Ambulance Service. We’re recruiting new staff and trying to reduce waiting times and other ways of doing it.”

A doctor from Somerset noted that in their county doctors are going out in ambulances to reduce the time it takes to get someone treated. Ms Pendleton replied: “We need to attract people to that, we can’t take them out of the surgeries.”

Cllr Chopak asked whether plans for new houses and the busy summer had been taken into account.

In reply, Ms Pendleton said: “We have to work out population needs and we’ve been working with housing plans and we’re going through that with colleagues now. But it’s more difficult when there are a few houses here and there. It’s easier when there’s new houses. In Truro, there’s 3,000 new homes and we’re working on that at the moment. But we know we’ve not been good with working with councils but we’re applying for funds to get our share and make sure we get planning.”

Cllr Chopak then asked when the MIU could reopen.

Dr Anderson replied: “The vast majority go from 8am to 10pm. We ask for people not to go at 2am in the morning if it can wait unless it’s absolutely understandable. But if you’re dying or got a medical problem then call 999. But that said, if you’ve had knee pain for three months then use the MIU, but you can wait until the morning.”

Dr Anderson added: “We also have 111 to ask questions and take you through it. More often than not they’ll urge on the side of caution. But I do want to reinforce the fact that if you feel unwell between 10pm and 8am, then ring 999.”

Following that, questions were then taken by the audience with topics discussed such as why a hospital with excellent bed facilities aren’t being used; the possibility of a local working group to discuss the issues; whether Stratton could become an Urgent Care Centre, making sure staff and people work collaboratively; whether an ambulance could be parked at Stratton and be on call.

Mayor of Bude-Stratton Town Council, Bob Willingham said: “I hope you take back the feeling of the people here, from what’s been a memorable turnout. Tamsyn, you’re obviously a very skilled person but the MIU is seen as a bit of a safehaven. I know of people who have been made comfortable before the hour and a half trip to Barnstaple and in my experience I helped an injured cyclist. You need to understand that even if one life is saved then it’s important.”

“Also you talk about collaborative working, there are two surgeries in the town at Neetside and in Stratton (Ruby Group) and they don’t have collaborative working. By 2030 there are going to be 1,200 new homes. With the new developments, how can the town council help local residents? Could the key workers be given accomodation? How can the town council help?”

Dr Anderson thanked Cllr Willingham for his suggestions before her and Ms Pendleton said that the surgeries have started to work together.

With the nearest training centre for nurses in the area being at the University of Plymouth, a member of the public criticised the amount of training they had to do and claimed that the lack of options is putting some people off.

Ms Buse said that anyone interested should call her at Stratton and that since September they have been working with the Open University.

Bude’s Pat Richens sought assurances that the closure is only temporary, which led to Dr Anderson saying: “We’re actively trying to recruit and once we do we’ll reopen but if we can’t we’ll have to have a conversation but we’ll continue to be really open.

“Last week we thought we’d be reopening, but of those people, no-one could take up the role.”

Ms Buse was then grilled whether the three people interviewed were already qualified.

She said: “One was qualified and ready to work and two were in development and would have required training. However the first person discussed it with his family and decided not to, the second person is from the Peak District and then decided not to and the third person has accepted the job and is looking at relocation. But when he comes down he’ll need training.”

Another member of the public asked: “Can I ask you, categorically, there are no plans to shut our Stratton Hospital?”

Ms Pendleton said: “Categorically, no, why would we shut a place in such a rural community.”

Other ideas and questions were sounded out with Ms Pendleton asking people to get involved.

Cornwall Councillor for Bude, Peter La Broy, finished off the public questions and thanked the panel for attending before Cllr Chopak closed the meeting by saying: “Thank you for your patience, we need to continue the conversation. I can assure you from a Cornwall Council perspective, we’ll continue to talk about this on a weekly basis until we get what we want!”